Water lock



March 13, 1945. H. MAI'QKWART 2,371,339

WATER LOCK Filed Jan. 24. 1944 2 Shets-Sheet 1 AINVENTOR, EARL MR/(WARI QZKM Arrow/Er.

March 13, 1945. E. H. MARKWART' 1,

' WATER LOCK 4 Filed Jan. 24, 1944 z'sheets-sh et 2 36 INVENTOIL 34 t 3, EARL h. MARKWART. 31 25 ATTORNEY.

in enlarged side @W Fig; is "a transverse sectionahvi'ew; taken on Patented Mar. 13, 1945' y f2,371,339 WATER LOOK I Earin. Markw'art, Sacramento, Calif. I

Application-January 24, 1944, Serial No. 519,466

.' This invention relates to water locksand more particularly to a waterlock device adapted to be h used in gasoline fuel dispensing stations'to 'pre-' 'vent Waterfrom bei-ng pumpedffrom astorage tank into an automobile "fueltankpor the like.

An object-of the invention is to provide a simple device forusewithgasoline' service'stati'on "pumps and the like, which prevents water, which "accumulates by means of condensation-or in "other manners, frombeing pumped from the said storage tank and delivered to the fuel tank of a motor vehicle or the like. Another-object of this invention is to provide a water lock dev'icewhich prevents the operation of "a gasoline dispensing fpump when waterhas accumulated to a 'deter- 'mined amount in a storage tank. A further object of this invention "is td'provide a water lock "device which may 'be easily attached toa'conventional gasoline storage tank "and pump without the necessity 'of rebuilding or modifying convenftional equipment in order to accomplish installation thereof. A further object of the' invention is toprovide a water lock device adapted to shut oif'a pump motorwhen apredetermined amount "to' and made ajpart hereof. "Referring'to' the drawings 'iinjwhic'h'similar characters, of referencerepre'sent corresponding parts'in the several views:

I Fig. l is a diagrammatic view ofaifuel storage taro; and pumping apparatus with the preferred. i'o'rm of the invention connected thereto shown in'erilargedflongitudinal section.

Fig. 2 is a'diagrammatic view ofia'fuelstorage tank and pumping apparatus'w'ith a modified "form of'the invention connected thereto shown elevational view, partly broken line pump C which,,in turn, leads to a dispensing -conduit (not shown) for dispensing gasoline into thefuel' tanks of motor "vehicles and the like;

' i'fl hejinvention" is adapted for easy' connection to the "storage tank A and comprises a housin set screw 8*. l

conduit' ii, "connected "to an aperture provided in the top of a: gasoline storage-tank and supporting a valve housing 5. It'-.iis..=noted that there is communioationfromthe :storage' tank through the housing conduit 3-vinto the valve housing 5.

A lever 6 is pivotally mounte'd pn a wall of the valve 'housi-ng, as at l. A cable, wire or other suitable supporting "means 8 is 1 attached to :one

end of' the lever 6, 1 as *by means :ofan adjustable The supporting means 8, :depending irom ilBV-GI' 6, is in vertical alignment' nn th, -:and *is enclosed by, the housingpondui-t-ii; A .d-uogravi ty' fioat 9, 'i.-e. adapted to sink 'in gasoline and float on water, or other -liquidsihaving i'di'fferent "specific densit'ies, is --connec'ted-'to the' -botto'm end :ol the supporting means 8 and is spaced above the floor "of the gasoline tank at aepre'determ'ined *po'int in orderflthat a predetermined accumulation of supportingmeans B carries a pivotally mounted toggle link or the like l0 which is -piV0ta1ly attachedto astem ll. "I he's-tem"I l forms-a 'part of avalve 2 provide'd' in the valve-housing -wh ich will now be described."

Ihe stem H is 'SIidabIv mountedin'spiders or 3 bearings 13" provided in a hollow plug bl-4, preferably "removably connected in t'iperture -15 formed in the valve housing 5. The stem H eX- tends through the plug and carries a valve head 1'6 which is adapted to seat against the annular walls of hollow plug .14; Preferably the headifi'is tapered in order to make a line con-- v tact with the innerannularedge of the hollow plug 'to prevent fluid communication through said plug. I

It will he noted that passages Hare provided adjacent to the bearings 'l-3to allow communication from the valve housingto the valve -headflfi. A pipe '18 communicates with aperture-i=5 below plug M and leads to and is tapped "into the suction conduit lof the gasolinedi'sepensing circuit. Preferablyythe i-pipe' I8 is 'ta pped finto' thesuction conduit 1 "atthe topof the-vertical lift of the said suction conduitino'i der to facilitate-priming of the 'pump "after the pump" has been rendered inoperative, a n v o In operation, when'the duo'z-gravityfioat 9 is as will hereinafter elevated, as caused by the accumulation of water DQweight is relieved "from thenneend oflever "B, thereby allowing the "weight of the stern valve headto tilt the lever downwardlv'toward the plug l4, allowing the valve i2 to open, which, in turn, allows air to pass from the top of tank A, through housing conduit 3, through; valve housing 5, and thence through apertures IT in plug l4 to pipe I8 and conduit l which leads to the pump. Thus by induction of air into the suction line of the pump, the pump becomes inoperative to lift the liquid gasoline and is thereby rendered inoperative to discharge gasoline from the saidstorage tank. After the accumulated vwateiflll ,has been removed from the storage tank, float 9 seeks a lower level which, in

' means 8 is flexible so that by elevating float 9,

theweight thereof' on lever 6 is removed and functions to open-valve 12,. In this form of construction the weight of supporting means 8 and float 9 when immersed in gasoline is greater than .the weight of stem H and cap l5. Obviously the weights can'be shifted by moving the position of pivot of lever 6to change the leverage. The supporting means 8 may be a rigid member so that when thefloat ,9 iselevated, the valve I2 is opened by applied pressure ratherthan by the counterbalancing means above described Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate a modified form of the invention, wherein a vacuum switch is actuated to shut off a pump motor orthe like. The modifled form of waterlock is connected to a conventional gasoline storage tank in thesame manner as hereinabove described with reference to the preferred form oftheinvention- The valve housing is partitioned by partition member 26 which divides the housing into two portions, the top portion being held in position on the partition member by means of a screw or the like 28. A lever 29 is pivotally mounted, as at 30, on a stud 3|- carried by. partition 26. One end of the lever;2$ carries a supporting means 8 attached to duo gravity float in the same manner as hereinbefore described with reference to a preferred form of the invention. The opposite end of the lever 29 is formed with a clevis portion 32 mounting a roller 33 adapted to rest against the bottom of a piston 34 which forms a part of the valve 35 hereinafter described.

The piston 34, seated slidably in a passage or cylinder 36, is provided with a reduced diameter portion 31, having a cap or head portion 38 upon which is mounted a coil tension spring 39 adapted to be compressed adjustably against the cap 38 by means of a set screw 40. Pipes 4| and 42 communicate with passages 43 and 44, respectively. Communication between the pipes 4| and 42,

through the passages 43 and 44, is normally shut off by means of the piston 34. However, when the piston is lowered from the position shown in Fig. 3, communication between the pipes is allowed through the reduced diameter portion 31. Pipe 4| leads to the pump suction pipe I and pipe 42 leads to a conventional pneumatic vacuum switch 45 or the like, connected in series to a stopping and starting relay switch 46 controlling the pump motor 41. The switch 45 may lead to any motor 'cut-out or controller mechanism of a suitable nature.

The operation of the invention is as follows: When the duo-gravity float 9 is elevated by the accumulatedwatez-D, the weight is relieved from is sufficient to force the piston 34 upwardly in passage or cylinder 36, thereby shutting ofi communication between the pipes 4| and 42. The motor may then be started and the pump will operate until such time as the water accumulated in the tank reaches a predetermined height.

The air exhausted from pipes 4| and 42 and inducted into suction pipe 2 will render the pump inoperative to pump gasoline until the vacuum switch is actuated to shut off the motor.

While I have referred to gasoline and water in the specification and claims, it is understood that other liquids of different specific densities and characteristics are equivalent liquids within the intended spirit of this invention.

While .I have described the invention in more or less specific detail, it is understood that variations and modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a water lock device in combination, a storage tank for gasoline, a suction pipe in said tank and communicating with a pump, a float adapted to sink in gasoline and float on water disposed in said tank below the inlet to said suction pipe, a valve positioned remote from said float, means to link said float to said valve and actuate said valve upon elevation of said float, and a pipe connecting said valve to said suction pipe, said valve operative upon actuation to admit air to said pipe and thereby render said pump inoperative to pump gasoline.

2. The combination with a liquid storage tank and a suction pump connected therewith to withdraw liquid from the tank, of a float and connected valve mechanism, said float having a specific gravity greater than gasoline and less than water and being disposed in said tank adjacent the bottom thereof, said valve operative on the movement of the float to admit air to the suction side of the pump, and means actuated by said float and valve mechanism to cause the pump to cease pumping operations substantially simultaneously .with the admission of the air to the suction side of the pump.

3. In a liquid storage tank and pumping system, the combination comprising a liquid storage tank, a suction pipe leading from said storage tank to a suction pump in flow communication therewith, a float adapted 'to sink in gasoline and float on water disposed in said storage tank .below the level of the intake of said suction pipe, an air conduit in flow communication with said suction pipe, a valve in said air conduit and mechanical linkage means between said valve and said float whereby said valve is closed while said float is in gasoline and said valve is open when said float is inwater.

4. In a liquid storage tank and pumping system, the combination comprising a liquid storage tank, a suction pipe leading from said storage tank to a suction pump in flow communication therewith, a float adapted to sink in gasoline and float on water disposed in said storage tank below the level of the intake outlet of said suction pipe, an air conduit in flow communication a suction pipe leading from said storage tank to a suction pump in flow communication therewith, a housing supported onsaid storage tank in flow communication with the interior of said storage tank above the liquid level therein, an air port leading from said housing in flow communication therewith, a pivot link mounted in said housing, a valvein said air port and attached to said pivot link at one endthereof, a float depending from the other end of said pivot link and disposed in said storage tank below the level of the intake outlet of said suction pump, said float having a specific gravity greater than gasoline and less than. water, said valve being 6. In a'liquid storage tank and pumping system, the combination comprising a liquid storage tank, a suction pipe leading from said storage tank to a suction pump in flow communication therewith, driving means for said pump, a vaca uum switch controlling said driving means, an air conduit in flow communication'with said pipe and said vacuum switch, a valve normally closing said air conduit, a float in said storage tank disposed below the level of'the intake outlet of said suction pipe, said float having a specific gravity greater than gasoline and less than water and mechanical linkage means between said float and said valve operation to open said valve when said float is in water.

7. In a liquid storage and pumping system,

I the combination, comprising a storage tank, a

urged to closed position when said float is in gasoline and to open position when said float is in water and an air conduit inflow communication between said suction pipe and said air port in said housing.

is in water.

suction pipe leading from said storage tank to a suction pump in flow communication therewith, driving means for said pump, a vacuum switch controlling said driving means, an air. 7 conduit in flow communication with said vacuum a switch and said suction pipe, 9. spring loaded valve normally closing said air conduit, a valve actuating mechanism attached to said. valve and to a float disposed in said storage tank belowthe level of the intake outlet of said suction pipe, said float having a specific gravity greater thangasoline and less than water whereby said valve is urged to open EARL H. MARKWART.

position when said float 

